Baseball-loving shark spotted swimming in McCovey Cove

When you build your ballpark on the edge of a bay, like the San Francisco Giants have, things can happen there that can’t happen at most other parks. Fans can paddle by on a boat and watch the game. Home runs are hit directly into the water. And our water-based fish and mammal friends can take in a game if they’re in the mood.

Yes, AT&T Park is a place where a shark can look in on a baseball game. And one did on Tuesday night when it popped its head up in McCovey Cove to see how the Giants were doing. Not Jeff “Shark” Samardzija, or even Samardzija in a shark costume (which would have been awesome), but a real live shark.

One thing we do know: if the shark were a Giants fan, there wasn’t much for it to see. They had a tough time getting anything going against the Kansas City Royals, and got thwacked 8-1 thanks to a six-run sixth inning. The broadcast caught the shark in the fifth inning and paid a lot of attention to it, almost as if they sensed what was coming.

Despite the appearance of an actual shark, this wasn’t a “Jaws” situation. Leopard sharks are harmless to humans and are common in the San Francisco Bay. In fact, one of the caretakers at the National Aquarium says the leopard shark is a “great species to care for,” as well as docile and beautiful.

It doesn’t seem like the shark did much for the Giants, though, considering they gave up six runs not long after the shark was featured on the broadcast. The Samardzija variety of shark is probably the only one they want around from now on.